Electric-circuit controller



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,453,089 s. c. BRYANT ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Aug. G, 1921 40 i M gf M. l CMQ* Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

STANLEY C.

ELECTRC-CIP-CUT Application 'filed .Aufrust 6, E923 T 0 all whom t may concern :A

Be it known that l, S'ranmzr C. Bn* ;rr, a citizen ot the United vStates, and a residentof Chicago, in the county oi Cool and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric-Circuit Controllers, ot which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to electric circuit controllers of the type known as flashers, used to control signs or signals which are periodically illuminated at short intervals, or in other words are caused to flash. in the operation of such signals it is desir that the illumination of the signals be nain tained for a short length oi" time, as distinguished from an instantaneous fla-sh, and it is also necessary that the circuit controlling device by which such signals are operated be entirely automatic in operation, as it is impracticable to inspect them frequently. This is particularly 'true of signals ot this character which are installed in city `streets or on country roads, as the expense ot maintaining such signals would be prohibitive it much attention were required to lreep them in successful operation. To provide a signal which will meet the requirements ol. such use is the principal object ot my present invention, but l wish it to be understood that while my improved apparatus is designed primarily for the purpose stated, it is also well adapted tor use in many other situations, and, therefore, l do not `restrict myseli3 to its use 'for any particular purpose. The nature ot my invention will appear from the following description thereot in connection with the accompanying` drawings which illustrate one form in which it may be embodied. `What l regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying` drawings,-

Fig. l is a side elevation ot' my improved apparatus, some parts being broken away; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement ot the circuits when the controlling` device is used in connection with a signal lamp such as are commonly einployed for street signals.

In the embodiment ot my invention illustrated I employ a main electromagnet which is ot the slow releasing type. This magnet is shown as having its poles l ,fitted fr, or

CHECA@ ZFLLNOIS.

CONTROLLER.

Serial No. 490,898.

in a. supporting standard 5 rising from a base t5 which is mounted on a block 7. The standard 5 is inclined `somewhat `from the vertical so that t ie armature hereinafter described will tend to move away troni the poles 4 by gravity. Cooperating with the magnet 3 is an armature 8, in the form of a bar oft suitable magnetic material, which is arranged in an approximately upright position, its lower end being rounded and having a rocker bearing in a block 9 preferably secured to the standard 5. This rocker bearing is termed by providing a rounded recess in the upper face ot the block 9 and correspondingly rounding the lower end ot the armature, as shown at 10 in The armature is held loosely in engagement with its bearing by a screw il which is passed through the upper portion ot the bloei: 9

and through a hole 12 in the arma-ture in N which it fits loosely so as not to intertere with the rocking ci the armature. is shown in Fig. l, the screw 11 is inserted from the side of the block 9 next to the standard 5 so that it cannot work loose. This torni oi bea ing is particularly advantageous in a device ott this character because it does not require lubrication, and there is no appreciable wear so that it requires no attention.

Vilhcn the armature 8 is in `its normal position its upper end is somewhat farther away than its lower end from the magnet 8 so that when the magnet is energized the armature is caused to rock toward the poles ot the magnet. For limiting` the extent to which the upper end of the armature can approacl'i the magnet, and also tor adjusting the action of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter described. the armature is provided with an adjustable screw 13 ot brass, or other non-magnetic material, which ei;- tends through the armature and is adapted to strike the upper pole of the magnet when the armature reaches the desired limit of its movement in theLU direction. The screw i3 is provided with a loclr nut 14 for holding it in position when adjusted. The armature 5 also carries a spring contact member l5 preferably secured. to its upper end, as shown in l. rl`he purpose of this contact member will be explained later.

Carried by the armature 8 is an auxiliary electromagnet 16 which is arranged to rock relatively to the armature 8, which serves as an armature tor the auxiliary magnet also. The magnet 16 is provided at its lower end with a stud 1T rounded at its lower end and fitted in a rounded bearing in a block i8 secured to the lower end portion of the armature 8, the arrangement of these parts being similar to the mounting of the armature 8. The auxiliary magnet 16 is provided with a pole piece 19 bent at righi' angles so as to lie adjacent to the upper portion of the armature 8. il pin 2f) of brass or other non-magnetic material is se cured to the pole piece 1.9 and extendsl through a passage in. the armature S to point somewhat beyond the inner face of said armature, so that it is adapted to strilre the standard when the ai rture 8 approaches the limit of its movement under the influence of the magnet 3, and thereby mechanically separate the pole 19 of the auxiliary magnet 16 from the armature 8, the purpose of which action will be hereinafter set forth.

21 indicates a spring contact which is secured to a block 22 carried by the auxiliary magnet 16 and extends into position to be engaged by contact when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. lllhen, however, the pole-piece 19 of the auxiliary magnet is moved away from the armature 8 through the instrumentality of the rod 2) the contacts 15 and 21 are separated. rlThese contacts, therefore, serve as a switch lich, as will be hereinafter described, opens and closes the circuit through the coils of the main magnet 3 and auxiliary magnet 16. Adjacent to the auxiliary magnet 16 is a standard 23 which carries an adjusting screw 211 having at its inner end a stop 25 of noncondueting material adapted to be eng( by the spring contact 21 when the latter is in its initial posit-ion shown in Fig. 1.

ln Fig. 2, l have shown my improved circuit controlling .device as used for control.- ling the flashing of a lamp 26 which is provided with a normal light filament QT and a reserve light filament 2S, the latter bei i arranged to be automatically put in service if the normal ilament should be broken or burn out. The flow of current to the lamp 26 is controlled by a relay 29 comprising a core having a winding 31, a pole 32, and an armature 33 which pivoted so to swing toward and from the` pole 32. The armature 33 is preferably mounted in the same manner as the armature 8. that is to say, on a rocking bearing. rPhe armature 33 is adapted to bridge two contacts S41, 35 when the circuit through the normal light filament is broken, under which condition. the coil 29 will be out of circuit and the. core 30 will not be energized. llllien, however, the normal light filament is intact the current will flow through the coil Q9, thereby energizing the core 30 and moving the armature 33 up against gravity out of contact with contact point which, as hereii'iaiter' described, will cut off' current from the reserve light filament 28.

ln the drawings l have shown a battery 36 as the source of current, but the necessary current may be derived from any other 'table source. ln the diagrammatic illustra tion of Fig. Q the battery is connected by a wire Si' with tic coil 3S t auxiliary electromagnet 16, the opposite end of which coil is connected by a i. f 39 with spring contact 21. The opposite side of the battery counceted by a wire Ll() with one cud of the coil tl of the main electron'lagnet il. and also bj.' a wire with the coil 31 of the relay mugnet 29. The opposite end of the latter coil is connected by a wire 43 with a. terminal 111 of the lamp 26 which leads to the filament 2.7. The corresponding terminal 15 of the lamp which leads to lilament is connected by a wire 46 which leads to contact point 35. Contact point B4- o't the relay il) is counected by a wire 4l? with the wire e2. A wire L18 leads from a terminal L19 of the lamp which is connected with the other ends ol the filaments 2T, 2S, and connected with the armature 6 and also with the other end of the coil 41 of the main magnet The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The initial position of the armatrufe 8 and the parts carried thereby is shown in Fig. 1, which position they assume under the action of gravity when the electri'in'iagnet 3 is deenergized. .it the instant that the parts assume such position, however, that is to say, when the contact member 15 comes into contact with the contact member 2.1Vv` the main electromagnet 3 is energized by the circuit thereby established. which goes from the battery through the coil of auxiliary electron'iagnet 16, thence through spring contacts and 15 and armature S to the coil of the main magnet. The circuit through such coil is completed by wire 10. ,At the same time a portion of the current passingthrough the coil L11 is conducted through the coil 31 of the light relay 29, thereby energizing the core thereof and lifting the armature 33 out of contact with contact point This is on the assumption that the filament 2T intact. If, however, such filament be broken the core 30 will not be energized, and in that case the current will flow through the armature by wire l16 to the reserve light hlament 2S and tnence bacl: by wire 48 to coil l1.

The flow of current through the coil of auxiliary electromagnet 16 will energize the pole 19 thereof, which will accordingly be attracted. to the armature 8, and, therefore, when said armature moves toward the poles 4t of the main electromagnet under the influence.- of the attraction thereof, the auxiliary niasfnet 16 with the spring contact 21 attached to it will move with said armature. The parts carried by the armature 8 will, therefore, retain their initial relative position until the pin 2O strikes the standard 5, which occurs shortly before the armature 8 reaches the limit ot its movement toward the poles llilhen the pin 20 strikes the standard it will arrest the auxiliary magnet 16, but the armature 8 will continue to move toward the poles il, thereby separating the auxiliary magnet pole 19 from the armature 8 and at the same time breaking Contact between the switch members 21 and 15. The auxiliary magnet 16 will thereupon drop back to its initial position with the spring contact 21 resting against the stop :25. The separation of the spring contacts 21 and 15 will break the circuit through the main magnet 3, as well as through the auxiliary magnet 16, and, therefore, the armature S will be slowly released.

by the main magnet 3 and will then drop back to its initial position, which restores contact between spring contacts Q1 and 15, and again establishes the circuit through the mainV magnet. The operation above described will thereupon be repeated and will continue as long as current is supplied by the battery or other source.

It will be apparent that the time between flashes, as well as the duration of the ilash, may be regulated by means of the adjusting screws 13 and 241, but when these have been set in the desired position the apparatus requires no further attention but will continue t0 operate indefinitely so long as current is supplied or both filaments ot the lamp are not destroyed. Even it the lamp should not be operative the circuit controlling device will continue to operate as the circuits controlling the operation oi' such device are not dependent upon the lamp.

.As will be understood from the foregoing description, the circuit through the main magnet .is not broken until the armature 8 approaches the poles of said magnet, and Consequently the light continues to burn during an appreciable interval of time. Also the slow release feature of the main magnet prevents instantaneous return of the armature 8 toits initial position after the circuit through the main magnet is broken, and consequently there is also an appreciable interval of darkness before the contact 15 again comes into contact with contact member 21 and re-establishes the light circuit as well as that through the main magnet. llVith this apparatus, therefore, a very slow rhythmic contact is made which gives the desired slow flashing effect to the lamp.

.ln addition to the principal feature oit my invention above described, I wish to call attention to several other advantages which result from the construction shown and described. One of these is that the movable pa-rts return to their position by gravity only, the use ot springs is avoided and there is less danger of any of the parts getting out of order. Also the stationary parts are mounted so that they are held rigidly and permanently in position, and, therefore, the movable parts cooperating therewith are not apt to get out of adjustment. In constructing the main magnet 3 l prefer to use a simple Lil-shaped core to avoid any losses that might occur if two cores and a connecting yoke of the usual type were employed.

So tar as l am aware l amr the first in the art to provide an electric circuit controlling device having an electromagnet and a movable armature therefor, in connection with. a switch which controls the circuit through said magnet and is arranged to maintain the circuit through the magnet for a time after the armature is moved from its initial position, and also to break the' circuit through said magnet an appreciable length of time before the armature returns to its initial position. My invention is therefore generic in character, and the claims hereinafter made are to be construed accordingly.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric circuit controller comprising a main electromagnet, a movable armature therefor actuated by the energization thereof, an auxiliary electromagnet adapted to magnetically engage and move with said armature, a switch comprising members carried by said armature and said auxiliary electromagnet, the members of said'switch being arranged to make contact with each other when said armature and said auxiliary magnet are in their initial position and to maintain such contact until the armature reaches a predetermined position under the influence of said main electromagnet, and means for then opening said switch.

2. An electric circuit controller comprising a main electromagnet, a movable armature therefor actuated by the energization thereof, an auxiliary electromagnet adapted to magnetically engage and move with said armature, a switch comprising members carried by said armature and said auxiliary electromagnet, the members of said switch being arranged to make contact with each other when said armature and said auxiliary magnet are in their initial position and to maintain such contact until the armature reaches a predetermined position under the influence ot said main electromagnet, and a pin carried by said auxiliary magnet and operating to mechanically separate the members of said switch when the armature reaches a predetermined position.

3. An electric circuit controller comprising an electromagnet, an armature therefor adapted to swing away from the poles of said magnet by gravity when said magnet 10 ence of said main eleetromagnet, and switebL members Carried by said armature and by said auxiliary eleetromagnet, said switch members being arranged to be in operative Contact with each other when the pole of said auxiliary magnet engages said arma- 15 ture, and to be separated from each other when said pole is disengaged from said armature.

STANLEY C. BRYANT. 

